The original play is in French but, like many of Molière's plays, it has been translated into many different languages. Adaptations in English include Scapino! by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale,[2] which has also been further adapted by Noyce Burleson.[3]Bill Irwin and Mark O'Donnell have also adapted the play, as Scapin.[4] Despite a few alterations and modernization of language, the play still retains much of its original structure.

Scapin constantly lies and tricks people to get ahead. He is an arrogant, pompous man who acts as if nothing were impossible for him. However, he is also a diplomatic genius. He manages to play the other characters off of each other very easily, and yet manages to keep his overall goal — to help the young couples — in sight.

In their fathers' absence, Octave has secretly married Hyacinthe and Léandre has secretly fallen in love with Zerbinette. But the fathers return from a trip with marriage plans for their respective sons. Scapin, after hearing many pleas for help, comes to their rescue. Thanks to many tricks and lies, Scapin manages to come up with enough money from the parents to make sure that the young couples get to stay married. But, no one knows who Hyacinthe and Zerbinette really are. It ends in the classic "And they lived happily ever after," and Scapin is even brought to the head of the table at the ending feast (even though he has to fake a fatal wound to make it happen).